Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-05-05

Know that, TOO, then more calmlNt
"Did not your mother rcmcmbsr
himen
"only a little. I beli2vo If alive he
must be an old man lowP"
"Yes.
Thcn they fell insc siioncc; the girl
holding her beautiful face TO the sun
set with musing look. and the young
man looking down at the grass which
he did M see. A vail seemed spread
over it, and tho past, which had neatly
died out of his life In these bllssful
weeks, came streaming back over him,
and thc awful cry OF the strangling
boDk-kccpcr seemed wailing again in
his cars.
In moment more Mrs. Brayton
called up the hill that they were 60
ing, and the young couple Went down
the path and The carriage rolled away
Into Tho city.
That night the church choir IN which
Celeste sang met about her piano for
practice, and John Earlnd excused
himself aud vert away into tho stat
light with troubled heart He did
not give much heed to the way he went.
but walked on, thinking darkiy of what
Celeste had said. He knew that he
loved her now that this indelinable
danger lowered over them, The shock
that came with her words. though he
could not see to the bottom Of what he
feared, had made his love for her as
plain 20 his feelings as n stream of
light TO the eye. II were much as II
she had started to slip from him. and
with the first throb OF fear he felt how
in heart in inclination, in intellect.
and IN person, .ho was beautiful and
had melted Into his being After a
timc he looked up as il something fa-
miliar had come in his way, and saw
that he had returned 10 her gate. For
a moment he stood there looking up
the pathway that led to the house, with
the flood of light that came from the
door and painted IL white. thinking
that tomorrow he would tell her all.
But did sho iOvo him? = t;:;G;;!. van
through his blood at the thought,
mingiing gladncss and dread in its
flight Then the singing broke out
afresh, and he stood listening to Ce-
leste's voice coming to him through It
all. and thought with throb how far
il had led him and how sweet and
sympathetic Il was, like n crystal pict-
urc Of her soul in sound, when hand
touched his shoulder and with a start
he saw a policeman standing by him.
"Sounds nice.' said the man, with
a nod toward the house. "Who lives
'ere?'
"Mrs. Brayton," SAID John Earring,
looking at the man in his intent way.
"Yos; will IL there a young oman
named Bright Celestial, or some such a
'cavenly 'andle to 'er, liyin' 'ere?"
"Yes. sir. "
"There IL? Wen. snag me! but hi
didn't believe i'm. Iii tole the Capin
the hole codger was n crank. and had
about rs much sense as \ 'ornet with
the 'eadache, but e sent me to SEQ my
way, and shore enough!'
"Who are you talking about?' asked
the young man, knitting his brows and
feeling something like a chill run over
him.
"W'y. one Of the beatenest hole fags
looked somethin' Ikea dead elm tree
when the bark mostly peeled holf an'
It's turned ragged an white-come into
'eadquarters this cvenin' with IL hyes
stickin' hout so rs We could peck 'cm
hof with billy, an throwed Il grip
down shriekin' hout e was a murderer
an wanted some place TO die I'M Iii
hain't been at the biz long Wit fol-
lercd the river twenty year an am con-
sidcrably used to sights, but snag me
IL hi didn't ave to old my false teeth
in with one hand / shuck so. while hi led
i'm into n cell with tothcr!'
Clearly this was a facctious person.
John Earring looked az him impa-
tiently.
"Well. hid no sooner got i'm onto a
bunk he went on, fore e begun q
rantin' about bein q murderer, an
Celesius Shine, or Bright, an sayin' e
wanted 'er fetched there TO see i'm.
an hi told the Capin an VIC looked in
the directory an shore enough it was
there, an hi come up to sce.'
John Earling turned sick at heart
and there was buzzing sound in his
ears rs he he?rl Celeste's sweet voice
die away at tic end Of the anthem.
81 viii 90 with You, he said, huskiiy.
The man looked at him inquiringly.
"'Ow bout the miss?' he asked. "Bc
you 'cr brother?'
mo a friend. am visiting here.
She should not see such a sight.
"Ihat's so; you'll do rs a starter.
anyway. Mebby ye can cover what 5
rattlin' the loon, then if need be we
can fetch the oman"
John Earring scarcely heard the
man's lingual conglomerato rs they
walked down the blull and took car
into the city; his thoughts were going
over and over again the dark field of
probability. Was this elusive secret
toward which he had been moving
vaguely all his life. to meet him at last
just when his days seemed breaking
into blossom, with something destruG.
tive and appalling in IL? He went for
ward with dread, yet with eager trem-
bling, and when he stood inside the
cell and looked down upon the pal
let there, his hands went up 80 his
throat and he stood still o mOIaegt to
let dizzy faintncss pass. There !aythe
white wreck, seeming little more than
bones and eyes, beating his withered
hands to and fro, and rolling his head
upon the thin pillow in mop Of
whitost hair The policeman TOOK
hoid Of the tossing hands and put them
down; the head stopped rolling, and
the glazed eyes hunted for his face, In
a moment they seemed adjusted 70
that ruddy marx, and the drawn lips
gasped: "Did--yOu--bring -her?'
"No, or fellor-e er friend come"
Again the staring eyes hunted until
at last they rested upon John Esrl.ng's
face. Then the skeeton-like figure
drew itself tremblingly up and leaning
on it, elbow peered at him. The place
was lily lighted, and the sick, cmaciated.
Old man with his vague, weary, wan
dering look, SJohn Earring was mex
pressibly terrible.
"You bring me anybody"
the parchcd lips said. only
him, and it-looks 80 likc-hcr, tool
I've seen them always centuries